Do you allow electronics at your gaming table?

[Janx]

We're all adults. We understand the social contract that surrounds our getting together for a game.

We've also been using laptops since the 2E Core Rules CD-ROM so we have some history with electronic devices....

I been using a computer to manage my char sheet since Appleworks on IIe. I even used CrossWorks to port chars from Appleworks to Word Perfect for DOS.

I quit printing out char sheets since around 2000. So a GM who banned tech would be banning me. I don't print anything if I can help it.

In the modern era, I find my iPad running a spreadsheet for my character is far superior to using a laptop. The laptop had to be always on, in front of me. The ipad, I could easily set it down and enjoy the game.

I also use real dice when I play. So the iPad's job is char sheet/inventory management and looking up skills/feats/spells/rules.

 

[thomkt]

Where's the "we all live hundreds of miles apart, so it's the only option" option?

The weekly game I'm in, there's myself and my wife in Oregon, one guy in the Bay Area, one in Tulsa, two the Greely, Colorado and the GM in Denver.

Google Hangouts and Roll20 is the best we've found.

 

[Thornir Alekeg]

I am DMing a game for my High School aged daughter and several of her friends. They did all of their character creation together on a shared Google Doc. None of them use paper, they just use their tablets or phones to look up their information. I created an Obsidian Portal page for the campaign and several of the players have uploaded characters stats, backgrounds and secrets to the page for my reference. Now I just need the rest of them to add their information and I can really get this campaign rolling.

 

[Blue]

I will allow, but not encourage it. I am not a fan of electronics at the table, as many players in my experience allow themselves to become engaged more with what they can access electronically than with the game at hand.

I'm with you, allowed but not encouraged. You want a table that's a rules/character reference, that's a-okay. But the "Wall of Dell" that hides everyone from each other's sight is not.

Plus in games that have long times between actions it was horrible - people would go off and do whatever and every single player would need to be updated on what the status of everything was when they turned back and took their turn. Which slowed down each turn so people were even more likely to fill their time.

I prefer paper, both running and playing. When I run I have more material on my laptop that I can pull out if needed, but otherwise it's off and away. Also depending on the system I may have manuals on tablet to cut down on how much to carry. But those are being used just an e-manuals, no games or anything.

 

[Blue]

I once had an experience with a GM who when I came to a game with a loaded iPod touch (character sheet, books, dice roller) stated that he did not allow electronics at his table. I smiled at him, got up shook his hand and thanked him for his time and left. Everyone looked stunned like they couldn't believe someone would do that. I deal with enough luddites in the real world, I have zero patience/tolerance for it in my leisure time.

Kudos that you left in a polite manner, especially with someone who's opinion you strongly disagreed with. I can get that this is supposed to be fun and you don't want to start an argument.

From calling the GM a Luddite, you seem to be implying that he was afraid of technology in general. Did you ever think that perhaps he had a bad experience with it at a table instead?

I know with one group I was in that had loooong turns in combat (pre-5e) that everyone with a device out would wander off doing whatever because of the long gap (30+ min) between actions. But because they were distracted, they missed what was happening during other player's turns and almost every single time the players would ask for updates when they started their turns. Which stretched out the time between turns for everyone else, making them more likely to go do something else.

So I personally would be fine with gaming-focused tech but death on people surfing the web/playing other games/texting/email. In a group I'm familiar with I'd made that known - we're all adults and respect each other. If it was a game at a FLGS or convention I might take a harder stance simply because I don't want to have to police that during a game and anyone doing it will slow the game down for everyone else.

 

[DM Howard]

You know what cures the tuning out with electronics thing? Hackmaster. You're welcome.

We use them, but don't really encourage them or anything.

 

[TsarMirae]

I just setup a 32" tv to my laptop to help show off the nasty critters, etc that the party encounters. Not to mention using it to show maps, there's lots of player created content out there and no one complained that the 32" map that I can enlarge wasn't big enough.

 

[Nylanfs]

Tsar, have you seen the setups using Fantasy Grounds or Roll20 and projectors & or TV's to show the battle field?

 

[TsarMirae]

I just started using the TV, so have only used it for JPGs (maps and images). I might check out Fantasy Grounds, but all my players are in person so from what I can tell Roll20 doesn't seem to fit. I tend to create a lot of my content too, so I have it all on my laptop already, and moving it to the second screen is easy. I find it adds to the dramatic effect when I can point to the 32" screen where I have just moved an image to and say 'That is what is trying to eviscerate you right now."

 

[Isida Kep'Tukari]

I allow electronics for the purposes of looking up rules, mostly. I don't want people surfing the internet, but checking up on what they need for their character during someone else's turn so they don't stop the game during combat, that's totally fine.